For You
by Novalo Typo
Summary: Pantera and Vuoto are two of the most infamous street thieves in Italy. They steal from everyone: rich families, gangs, and even the mafia. But there's something about Vuoto that catches the attention of the Vongola Family immediately. It's something about the brown hair and orange-hued eyes...
1. Chapter 1

"_Vuoto,_ you should go. See that tunnel there? If you run there, you'll be safe."

"B-but what about you, Metallo?"

"It's okay. Don't worry. I'll cover you. Just go now."

With a gentle nudge in the right direction, Metallo pushed her charge down the dim-lit hallway. As the small child gave a worried glance back, she simply smiled and whispered in his ear, "be safe, child."

Her charge gave a small nod and scurried down the hallway as voices from down the other path started getting louder. Metallo turned as a group of mafiosi dressed in white lab coats ran down the hall, stopping in front of her. Their eyes scanned the surroundings, trying to find the familiar small figure that would always be by the older woman's legs.

"Where is he?" One of the mafiosi snarled, pulling out a gun.

Another one of the taller mafiosi raised a hand and the other lowered his weapon. "Stay calm, friend," the taller man said, voice completely void of emotion. "Don't get M042 angry. It will only end in bloodshed."

"It'll end with carnage one way or another," Metallo smiled, showing her brilliant white canines. "I'll lodge you all on the end of my blade." With a flick of her wrist, three thin needle-like blades the length of her arm and the width of a fingernail shot out of her tattered sleeves. Spinning them carelessly in her fingertips, Metallo sighed as each one of the mafiosi pulled out their respective firearms. The tall hitman just shook his head and turned around, walking back into the depths of the corridor.

"Running, Corvino?" One of the men jeered, laughter in his voice.

The tall mafioso, Corvino, just waved a hand. "Goodbye," he said in a monotonous voice, his footsteps echoing down the dim hallway.

Metallo laughed. "Looks like one of you has survival instinct. Now, come and meet your end."

* * *

><p>"Oi, oi! Pass it here, Vuoto!"<p>

"Y-yeah!"

Two small children ran down the streets of Italy, one laughing, the other one giving a small smile. The laughing boy's fire-red hair streaked behind him as the wind whipped all around him. The smiling boy's spiky brown locks seemed to defy gravity as they stuck upright even with the ferocious gale.

The two turned a sharp corner as a small group of men passed by. The red-haired boy gave a half wheeze, half pant and dropped to the group, a chuckle in his voice.

"Well!" His windswept voice had a unique, eternal laugh in it. "What interesting men! Dressed all in black! How funny!"

The brown-haired boy shushed his friend as another horde of the men ran by. As they passed, he sighed and shook the leaves out of his hair. "That was fun," he admitted quietly. "But we could've gotten killed. A-and that's bad-"

The other boy laughed again, slapping the other on the back. "You can't lie to me, Vuoto," he said happily. "I know that glint in your eyes. You _love_ adrenalin."

Vuoto blushed deeply and lowered his head, his brown eyes shining with embarrassment. "Maybe it was a little fun, but - but I really think we should watch out for those guys! I mean, we've gotten caught up in their arguments a lot! Please, Pantera!"

"Oh, it's okay," Pantera replied carelessly. "My dad used to be one of them. Then he got killed 'cuz he wasn't following orders. The redhead gave a wide smile and slapped a fist onto his own chest. "But if runs in the family! My old man, Giaguaro Selvaggio, couldn't be contained! And I'm a Salvaggio, too!" Pantera said proudly, raising his fist in the air. "I can't be controlled!"

"Cuz you're a wild animal," Vuoto teased. Pantera smiled even wider at his joke. "Yes, I am!" Standing, the redhead pulled a brown bag full of items closer to the two. "I'm glad you understand. Now, let's see what those bad men had in this bag, shall we?"

Vuoto moved closer as he helped Pantera drag the bad (which was surprisingly heavy) into an old shack. The brunet closed the door behind him with a creak and sat down on the cold ground. The redhead dumped the bag's contents on the floor and whistled. "Shiny."

"Shiny indeed." The brunet was let in awe as he picked up a few articles of jewelry from the pile. The pile consisted of expensive jewelry, expensive gems, and expensive artifacts. Pantera picked up a small tiara and stood, four golden bangles on each arm. With a sweep of his arm, he brushed his hair to one side, giving Vuoto a look that he only used on girls to get out of sticky situations.

"Admit it, Vuoto," he said in a charming voice. "I'm absolutely _fabulous_, aren't I?"

Vuoto returned with a cheeky smile and grabbed an armful of stuff, dressing himself up.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Vuoto stood proudly with a teardrop-shaped crown around his forehead, displaying two gem-lined silver pendants and about six multi colored bracelets on each arm. A crimson cape lined with fur rested on his shoulders. Raising his head upward, Vuoto raised a golden scepter and strutted around with authority.

Pantera laughed and kneeled down, giving a mock bow. "All hail Vuoto, King of Fabulousness," he joked.

Vuoto laughed in response but started taking off the trinkets. "No, but seriously. What should we do with all this?"

The redhead paused to think for a moment, removing the expensive garments. Snapping his fingers, the taller of the two gave a feral smile. "You know those men dressed in black, right?" Vuoto cocked his head. The two had just been running for their lives away from them. Why would Pantera ask such a question?

"Well, seeing that I'm an adrenaline junkie, yes," Vuoto replied blandly. Pantera gave a light chuckle before his grin turned into something much darker. The two sat down and started putting the trinkets in storage crates they had found. The shed that they sat in had been their hideout for two years, including two makeshift beds, a large underground hiding compartment, and several peeking holes in case of intruders. That, and, most importantly, a pair of gauntlets and one arm-length needle as thick as one's fingernail.

Pantera shifted around on his bed after the two had finished hiding the treasures in the underground compartment. "I mean, do you remember who those guys are?"

"...That look in your eyes isn't good," Vuoto pointed out nervously. "I don't think you told me before..."

"Think on the lines of 'a really big group.'"

"A famous company?"

"Hm... well, not quite."

"Oh god. A street gang?"

"Nope. It's like a mix between the two."

"Oh, no." Vuoto's eyes widened as his hand went into his palms. "No. No." Pantera shook the brunet's shoulders gently but with a firm grip. "Say it," he provoked with an evil voice.

Vuoto gave a small moan before his mouth opened and the words slurred together out of pure anguish and worry.

"...The mafia..."

"Ding-ding!" Pantera raised his fist victoriously. "We have a winner!"

"Pantera!" Vuoto cried out desperately. "Okay, I understand if we steal from those rich families because they're all assholes, but... argh!" The brunet grabbed his gravity-defying hair and let his head droop as the redhead started piling up small stacks of golden coins.

"Pantera, you knew who those men were beforehand, didn't you?"

"Hm, yup."

Vuoto dropped his head even lower. Pantera smirked evilly. "Vuoto, if you keep on dropping your neck like that, you'll end kissing the ground."

"No, I'll be kissing my _grave_," Vuoto weeped.

"Well, grave or not," Pantera said dismissively, opening the hatch to the underground compartment, using one quick sweeping motion to swipe all of the unneeded jewelry into the hole, leaving only coins and money. "Once done, it can't be undone. So let's just make the best of it, yeah?"

The brunet stayed silent for a while before grabbing a handful of golden coins from the remaining pile. He stuffed the money into the pocket of his jacket pocket before glaring stubbornly at Pantera. "I'm getting new clothing," the shorter of the two said. "If the Mafiosi see us in the same clothing, they'll kill us. You can go get food or something."

As Vuoto walked off, Pantera pouted. "Aw, don't be mean! Let me help you pick, okay?"

"No. My fashion sense is much better than yours."

"Why – I'm offended!"

"No you're not. Go get food for us otherwise I'll buy a neon pink t-shirt for you that says 'Hold my poodle' on the front of it or something."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me. I know you hate that movie."

"You wouldn't. _You wouldn't!_"

"Actually, you can choose. Neon green or neon pink? Because both colors make my eyes hurt. Just like your face."

"I-"

Pantera let out a childish huff as he crossed his arms and watched Vuoto jump into the crowd of people, slowly moving along with the flow. The redhead smiled and cocked his head to the side.

"Well, Vuoto, you certainly have changed quite a bit."

* * *

><p><em>Flashback – 4 years ago<em>

Pantera let out a primal noise as he bandaged the fresh wound on his upper leg. He had been hasty – but seriously, when did that guy with the knife sneak up on him?

"Well, fuck," the redhead hissed, seeing how deep the knife had cut. Crimson blood flowed out from the wound onto the wet pavement. The wound would heal eventually… but it would be a pain to work with. In the underground world, the formula _thief + wound = success_ usually didn't work out very well. And, being a freelance thief, Pantera found that injuries were never fun to deal with during heists.

Pantera Salvaggio. Son of the famous Giaguaro Salvaggio. Age 15. Grew up on the streets of Italy as an orphan because his father had abandoned him. Found talent in stealing.

Yes, the simple explanation was always the cruelest.

Pantera's yellow eyes snapped up in fear when he heard the barking of dogs. There was no doubt that they had picked up his scent. Swearing, the redhead finished bandaging his wound quickly and quickly retightened the leather bands on his metal gauntlets. Though the once shiny gauntlets were covered with blood, they still could crush bone. And that was the important part. Even though they were heavy, the usual knife or gun was always too troublesome. A knife lacked power and a gun was only good for range. Stealing meant getting in and getting out without anybody noticing.

Gauntlets had both close range and power. Double win.

The stinging pain in his right calf was starting up an annoying buzzing sound in Pantera's head. As small droplets of blood started seeping out from the bandages, the redhead quickly added another layer of gauze and ran on, the sound of the falling rain clashing with the heavy footsteps, ragged breathing and the barking of the hunting dogs.

Pantera ran on for a couple of minutes before he ran straight into a brick wall. It was then that he realized that he was slipping in and out of consciousness.

And so he found an alleyway and slowly sat down.

Because either way, death would come swiftly, right?

Death was always a small concern for the redhead. Ever since he started working the freelance life, he knew that his death wasn't going to be a pretty one. None of that emotional bullshit. Just pain, blood, and a whole lot of running away.

How enjoyable.

"U-um… are you okay?"

A quiet voice jolted Pantera out of his thoughts. Out of the corner, a small figure leaned against the brick ball, eyeing the redhead cautiously. Pantera glared and gave a hiss, partially out of pain.

"Who are you?" He demanded, though not making an effort to run. "Come to kill me?"

The figure gave a small squeak of fear. "I-I'm seven! I don't kill people!"

"Right. Very believeable." Pantera sighed and looked up to the rainy sky, closing his eyes. Dying by the hands of a seven year-old assassin wasn't very satisfying, but it didn't really matter. Death was knocking on the door and it was getting impatient.

The figure shuffled closer and the redhead let out a long breath. "Do it quickly, kid. Otherwise they'll kill you for being slow or some other stupid fucking reason like that."

"You swore," the smaller of the two mumbled quietly.

"Who gives a shit?" Pantera replied with a slight grin on his face.

"It's bad," the figure scolded. "And it's rude. It's not nice."

Pantera stared out of boy as he decided to take a seat next to the bleeding redhead. The boy was young - seven, as he stated. He had gravity-defying brown hair and warm chocolate eyes that seemed to possess a certain type of innocence. He wore a simple blue jacket and loose black pants that were noticeably too big for him. Both were in bad condition. But the thing that the thief's eyes lingered over the longest was the long, arm-length needle-like blade in the brunet's hand. It was deadly sharp and thin at the tip but was rounded at the edges. That thing could so a _lot_ more than knit.

Pantera shifted uncomfortably as the child gave a few glances at the blood that was seeping from the redhead's leg onto the boy's pants. However, as Pantera moved to the side, the kid moved with him.

"Doesn't the blood bother you?" The thief asked curiously. The boy didn't seem like any kind of child assassin. Children usually ran away from blood or at least flinched or paled.

"Not really," the brunet replied. "You see, I used to get cut like that all the time. So blood doesn't bother me." After a short pause, he blinked and added, "oh, but pain really gets to me, though."

After a few minutes of silence, the child seemed to realize something and started to look for something in his pockets. With a bit of rummaging, the child pulled out a roll of bandages, some dry matches, and a tissue. Pantera starred as the small child unrolled a certain length of bandages. With a kick of his heel, a knife slipped out from the shorter figure's boot. He cut the roll and wrapped it around his wrist.

"What are you doing?" Pantera demanded as the brunet pulled out a match. It was only then that the redhead noticed that it had stopped raining.

"Please stay still," the child said politely as he struck the match against the box. As the tip caught fire, a bubble of panic rose from Pantera's throat. Was the boy actually an assassin? Did he plan to torture information out of him?

The redhead's worries were dampened over as the boy lifted the flame in front of his forehead. Closing his eyes, he exhaled and gritted his teeth together in focus. After a few seconds, a bright and pure orange flame flickered into life.

Pantera gasped as he saw the flame. He had seen that flame before. It was a Dying Will Flame, a kind of power that he saw only a few Mafiosi use. Though he didn't really understand the concept, he had seen how destructive the Flames could be. The Vongola were an infamous family that used Dying Will Flames a lot.

The brunet sighed happily as he saw the flame. He lowered the match right next to the bleeding wound and ignored Pantera's panicked cry. "Please calm down," he said reassuringly tone of voice changing completely. "It won't do much. It'll seal the wound. That's all."

The redhead watched in awe as the flickering flames coated over the cut, and with a slight tingle, the wound was completely healed. Moving his leg around to test if the knife wound was truly closed, Pantera's eyes widened when he discovered that the pain had disappeared completely. "Amazing," the taller of the two breathed. "How… how did you do that?"

The boy seemed to cheer up quite a bit at the redhead's amazement. Extinguishing the flame on the match, the boy raised his hand and closed his eyes again. Pantera jumped back as both of the boy's hands caught fire, burning with a beautiful shine. As the brunet's eyes flickered open, they were no longer their usual shade of a warm chocolate brown. Orange eyes the same shade as the brilliant flames that were dancing on top of his fingertips gazed calmly at the redhead.

"These are Dying Will Flames," the boy explained in a monotonous voice. The kindness and nervousness that had been muting his voice was swept away and left an emotionless voice. "I was trained so my flames could be fine-tuned."

"What attribute do you possess?" Pantera asked slowly, curious as to why such a young child would possess Flames that not many in the mafia world could control.

The boy cocked an eyebrow but replied nonetheless. "Flames of the Sky," he replied.

"Sky Flames!" Pantera gasped.

"Yes," the boy replied. "I possess the strongest and rarest of them all – Flames with the Sky attribute. Normally Dying Will Flames only possess one key characteristic. For example, Sky Flames have the 'harmony' attribute. Sun Flames have the 'activity' characteristic, meaning they are the only Flames that can heal, but with my fine-tuning, I can heal to an extent."

Pantera sat in silence for a few minutes. During the time, the boy's flames flickered out and he hunched over suddenly, letting out a few pants out of exhaustion. His arms quivered and he was drenched in sweat, starting to shiver as a cold wind swept by. The redhead glanced over as the young boy leaned onto him slowly for support.

"Hey, kid," Pantera called gently, still processing the information. How did such an innocent child have Sky Flames – or Dying Will Flames at all? And what did he mean by "trained"? Shaking his head, the thief shook the shorter child's shoulders.

"You okay?" He asked, lowering his head so he could look directly into the child's eyes. The child gave a tired nod. "Oh," the child added slowly. "My name is… Vuoto, I think. I don't really remember my last name… I think it started with an S…" Raising his head, the brunet looked at the sky.

"Sa… Sa-something," Vuoto finished off hesitantly.

Pantera gave a wide grin, much to the Vuoto's confusion. "Perfect," the thief said happily.

Vuoto gave a confused look. "Why is it perfect? All I said was that I don't really remember my last name."

"Oh, Vuoto, child. You have much to learn."

"…Huh?"

"Hm, as thanks for saving me, I'll take responsibility of you."

"What does that mean?"

Pantera leaned in close and smiled, showing his sharp canines. "It means I'm your caretaker for now, Vuoto. You're interesting. I'll keep you." With a friendly pat on the head, the redhead added, "oh, and I'll give you a last name, too. You said it started with a 'Sa'? Hm… okay."

Vuoto sat in silence as the redhead mumbled several options under his breath.

"I know," he said finally. "Maybe… Saera?"

Vuoto gave a confused look, raising an eyebrow. "Saera? What's that mean?"

Pantera put on a happy face and gave a fake pout. "Oh, dear Vuoto. Do names always have meanings? No, I just chose that name because it sounded cool."

Vuoto frowned. "Is that even Italian?"

"Nope! Well, I don't really care. You shouldn't either. Names aren't really that important."

Vuoto stayed silent for a few moments before smiling. Before the redhead could react, the boy jumped into his lap and gave the thief a warm hug, snuggling into the warmth of the older boy. Pantera's cheeks flushed up instantly as Vuoto's cuteness infected him with something more deadly than any disease. It was like hearts and kittens and rainbows had decided to sparkle up around the boy. Pantera almost expected the boy to start mewling.

"I like you," Vuoto said cheerfully. Then he frowned. "But first… what's your name?"

"Pantera," the redhead replied proudly. "Pantera Giaguaro."

"It's nice to meet you, Pantera! I'm your new charge, Vuoto Saera!"

Pantera's face broke into a brilliant grin as he hugged back.

"Well, welcome to the family, Vuoto."

* * *

><p><em>Omake<em>

"By the way, Vuoto, what happened to the dogs?"

"The... dogs?"

"Yeah." Pantera had decided to give the kid a piggy-back ride back to his hideout. He was only seven and had been half-asleep after using his Flames. It was only after the redhead had walked several blocks that he realized that there was nobody pursuing him anymore.

"You mean... the bad men and the puppies?" Vuoto asked tiredly, his eyes drooping.

"Yeah."

"The bad men were scary, so I put them to sleep. I looked at the dogs and they ran away."

A shiver ran down Pantera's spine as he stiffened and his eye twitched.

_Oh god, I've met a demon child._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Sorry for updating so slowly! I kind of lost interest with all the new anime. But I came back! Hope you like the chapter! Sorry, and I'll try to update in a fixed pattern.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Never Will.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2 - Slowly Shifting<strong>

_Back to the Present_

As Vuoto sat down with a frustrated huff, dropping the bags of new clothing. He had tried to buy things that wouldn't really stand out, such as simple hoodies, simple t-shirts, simple pants and simple hats. It had gone well. He now had about six backup outfits in case of attacks so they could blend in with the rest of Italy. And during the time that he had gone out, Pantera had somehow decided that going out with a crap ton of money and spending it all on sweets was a good idea.

"...Say, Pantera."

"Mmh-hmm?"

"How much did you spend?"

"Eh, I dunno. Just a handful of coins, that's all."

"And how much do you think that handful of coins was worth?"

"Enough to get me two giant bags of heaven."

"By 'heaven' you mean 'candy,' don't you?"

"You know me so well."

Vuoto gave a long, disappointed sigh and ran a hand through his hair. Sure, a handful wasn't much, but the sweets would keep Pantera in a sugar-high state for probably a month or more... which meant an even more of the hot-headed idiot running down the streets of Italy. Though he was nineteen, Pantera enjoyed acting like a ten-year old. Sometimes it was like their ages were reversed.

"Don't eat too much. Save some for later."

"You worry too much, mom," Pantera teased, shoving another gumdrop into his mouth. Then, setting the bag down, he shifted over and took a peek at the clothing that Vuoto had bought. "It's a bit plain," the redhead commented, shaking his head.

The younger of the two simply glared at him. "Well, would you rather die and look good or live and look normal?"

Pantera gave a hair flick and focused his vibrant green eyes on Vuoto, giving his usual lady-killer look. "If I'm going down, I'm going down in flamboyance," he announced dramatically, one hand on his hip.

Vuoto simply chucked a hoodie at his face.

"Yeah, well, flamboyance comes before the fall," the brunet added blandly, putting the extra clothing in one of the makeshift closets. Then he put on a wicked smile. "And don't worry about looking amazing. If it really comes down to a situation where we have to ditch everything and run, I've got the most _epic_ outfits ever."

Seeing the crazy glint in Vuoto's eyes, Pantera paled. After the boy had read books where the main characters cross-dressed, he had gone on a spree to make sure that the both of them could disguise as females in desperate situations. "V-Vuoto..." The redhead laughed nervously, backing up slowly to where his candy stash was. "Y-you don't mean..."

The brunet reached into his bundle of clothing and pulled out a long, expensive purple dress. It was sleeveless and was heavily decorated with ribbon. A black ribbon rested at the back and a fake rose had been pinned onto the chest area.

"I hope you like cosplay," Vuoto smiled, voice eerily happy. "Because, if worse comes to worst, we'll be doing a _lot_ of it."

Pantera's jaw had dropped to the ground. "B-but that's insane! What happened to laying low?"

"It's okay," the younger replied, voice still in a sing-song tone. "I got myself a really nice kimono. It's very pretty. It has a ton of colours and it droops really low and has a ton of layers. Oh, and I got this cool hair accessory as well."

"...Vuoto, are you sure you're not a girl?"

"I blame you for introducing me to that series."

Pantera pouted in the corner, reminding himself to find all of his books and burn them. Italy didn't have many interesting novels, and since neither of them could read that well, Pantera had found a book store that sold comic-like books that mainly consisted of pictures. Since he found them interesting, he showed them to Vuoto, who surprisingly said "I can read them." They were in Japanese. Pantera decided not to question it. The kid was weird. Mood swings, hidden talents, etc. Vuoto was chalk-full of secrets.

And though the kid's disguises were amazing, dressing as a girl was diving straight out of his comfort zone and into the Abyss of Doom, Destruction and Embarrassment.

"Anyway," Vuoto started, voice back to normal, looking at their food supplies. "I think we should get something from Grandma."

"Yeah," the redhead agreed, feeling hungry and very pleased to leave the previous topic. "Something fresh this time."

Ever since Vuoto and Pantera started working as a team, they had stolen food from various bakeries and take-on-the-go places out of curiosity. It was then that they discovered that this little place called _Foglia di Rosa_ was literally heaven on earth. The meals were absolutely marvelous and the old lady that ran the store had actually seen them stealing something - but all she did was give a crinkled smile and laughed, saying "just don't take too much." Pantera blinked a few times while Vuoto blushed madly, both of them dropping everything and bolting out the door.

Ever since that day, they had started calling the old lady "Grandma".

Grandma had always remembered to leave a tray or two of freshly cooked food for the duo. It seemed like she had clued in about them being orphans and all. Pantera and Vuoto had no problem with free food.

As the two were changing into their casual clothing, Vuoto said, "Do you think she'll ever tell us to pay?"

Pantera cocked an eyebrow as he pulled on his new fingerless gloves. "Hm?"

"Grandma's really nice. She knows we always take stuff, but she doesn't ask for money." Vuoto flipped the hood of his sweater up. With his orange-hued eyes, the kid would get a lot of ladies in the future. "Maybe we should pay her back somehow."

"Well, when that comes, we'll give her whatever she wants." The redhead shrugged as he tugged on new shoes, tying the laces. "But she seems like a really nice lady. She also has a good life. Stable income, stable family..."

"Yeah." The younger of the two grabbed his backpack, ready to go. "She's been giving us food for so long now. It's only fair that we should give back what we've taken."

"Well, before we get too deep into this subject, let's get dinner. I'm starved."

* * *

><p>"Thank you, Grandma!"<p>

"See you tomorrow!"

Vuoto and Pantera waved at the old lady, walking away. After another great meal, the duo decided to go back instead of snatch anything else from the nearby mansions. Usually after dinner, they would find some rich family with lax security and toy around with the guards for a while before heading back. But Vuoto had insisted on returning right away since Pantera had "decided to be a dumb fucking idiot and stole from the mafia". The redhead shrugged and agreed since they were both pretty tired from running away from the men in the first place.

"Okay, I think we need to reestablish our theft rules," the brunet suggested, though his tone of voice clearly said that his word was going to be heard.

Pantera gave his usual pouty face as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "Aw, c'mon. We already have so many rules. Let's keep it down."

"Ah, yes, well those were _before_ somebody decided go screw around with the _mafia_."

"Hmph. You're not a very polite eleven year-old."

"And this is coming from a ninteen year-old who acts even younger than said ten year-old?"

As the older of the two skipped along the sidewalk and the younger walked close to the alleyways, a gunshot rang out somewhere along the dark corridors. A gleam shone in the shadows, and by instinct, they both stepped aside, their instincts kicking in. Pantera sidestepped to the right and Vuoto flipped to the left, the two quickly taking shelter on opposite sides of the alleyway. A quick curse was heard and running followed afterward. It only took one glance from the two to react.

Pantera pointed upward, his yellow eyes shining dangerously in the night. The suburbs never had good lighting in the first place, and the darkness made the redhead look surprisingly predatorial. Vuoto caught his action and nodded.

The redhead smiled as he took off after the shooter. It simply took a clench of his fists for his gauntlets to coat the fingerless gloves in a thick layer of shiny metal. The familiar sound of the layers of metal plates opening up and spreading along his arms gave Pantera a rush of adrenaline. He knew the feeling well. And he loved in.

As the redhead ran, he lifted his head up ever so slightly. _Gunpowder,_ he thought to himself as a feral smile made its way onto his lips. All it took was one whiff of the air for Pantera to lock onto the shooter's scent and track it until said shooter was dead. Quickly sprinting down an alleyway to the left, Pantera skidded to a stop, the smile still on his face.

"Come on out," the redhead sang out in a cheerful tone. "Don't you know it's rude to try to assassinate someone without first knowing their name?"

A cold laugh rang out from nowhere, and Pantera quickly noted that the tone of voice was different from before. Was it a different person?

"A thief shouldn't speak about the morale of assassins so casually," the deep, smooth voice called out, a mocking undertone to it. "Especially a petty pickpocketer like you."

Pantera's eye twitched and his smile faded away, shifting into a dangerous snarl. Now that he was separated from Vuoto, he could drop the cute kid act.

"Listen, bastard," he growled, knees bending and ready for action. Yellow eyes shone violently in the darkness of the alleyway. "I'll let you know that I could find you and break your neck without breaking a sweat. Show your face so I can decide which way to cave it in."

A "tsk, tsk" followed by another laugh echoed in. From a building above, a shadow dropped down from a high perch. Several other figures followed him down. Tensing, Pantera raised his hands, prepared for any surprise attacks that could be launched at him. The figure in front, who was surprisingly taller than the rest, tapped the black fedora sitting on top of his head.

"You've been getting in the way of the Aquila Family. M041 needs to return back to his rightful home." The man stepped forward, raising his hands in the air as to prove that he was unarmed. Ha. Like that ever worked.

"I'll assume that when you say 'M041' you're referring to Vuoto," Pantera said blandly, a foul taste in his mouth. So clearly the men were mafiosi. But what did the family want specifically with Vuoto? Why _just_ him? The scent of the mafiosi was familiar. So it was the Aquila Family that the two had raided earlier. But why not capture both of the thieves?

The tall hitman nodded, the stepped back. "Indeed. He needs to return. His purpose was no more than to serve the Aquila Family. That is the sole reason for his existence. He is our champion."

Pantera let loose a wild laugh. Some of the men flinched and raised their weapons. The cackle was one bordering the lines of sanity and insanity.

"Ah," the redhead giggled, laughing truly for the first time in a long time. "You think you can control a beast like that?" Raising his right gauntlet, Pantera's predatory eyes locked onto the men in front of him, glaring at them with all the intensity of a wild animal with its fangs and claws bared. "They call me Giaguaro, but they clearly haven't met Vuoto's wild side yet. But before he can even get here..."

Pantera shot forward, grabbing one of the men's faces and slamming him into the ground. A sickening crack echoed across the narrow pathway, and the tall mafioso quickly retreated behind the others.

"...I'll kill you all."

The first man grimaced at the sight of his comrade's blood. Then he pulled out a sleek black gun from his coat, firing several times in Pantera's direction. The redhead ducked low and grabbed onto the lid of a trash can, avoiding the incoming bullets. With a flick of his wrist, he chucked the projectile at the man, and he went down with a loud _slam _and a groan. He didn't stay down, though. Broken nose aside, he slowly stood back up as another mafioso ran up from behind him, a baton raised as he charged toward Pantera.

"Oh my," the redhead commented, seeing how the baton sparked violently while coming into contact with the ground after he dodged it. "That must've been expensive." The mafioso snarled and lunged at him again, but Pantera simply flipped over him. As his back hit the brick wall, the mafioso laughed and viciously went for an attack. However, the redhead sidestepped and kicked his stomach, causing the fat man to drop the baton. While he was immobilized, Pantera punched an incoming mafioso in the face, making sure to at least break his nose and jaw. The fat mafioso slowly regained his bearings, stumbling around a little. Pantera took the opportunity to run at him, jumping and hooking his legs around the man's neck. Using his force, the redhead forced the man down, and as his palms touched the pavement, Pantera slammed his legs down, bring the fat man with him. A quick snap delivered a neck-breaking blow. Literally.

Pantera yawned and stretched a little, watching as two smaller, more agile mafiosi charged at him. The first had dual knives and the second had a whip. As Knife Man gave a quick slice, Pantera sidestepped and let the whip wrap around his gauntlet. The Whip Man smiled as he realized his had his target, but quickly gasped as he was dragged forward with unnatural force. The redhead smiled as he gripped onto the stretchy whip, using both hands to swing the man straight into the other. They both collided with the wall in a painful and bloody mess.

Of course, there was still the mafioso with a broken nose. Pantera simply walzed over and punched him into the ground.

Brushing off the specks of blood on his gauntlets, Pantera looked up at the tall mafioso with glee in his eyes. "Well, there goes your henchmen. Feel free to send more. I'm pretty out of shape."

The tall man smirked from underneath his fedora, snapping his fingers. Suddenly, Pantera locked in place. It was as if his limbs and nerves completely shut down and froze in place, refusing to move at all. As his gauntlets shifted back to normal fingerless gloves, the redhead felt a trickle of sweat run down his face.

"I suppose I did underestimate you," the mafioso admitted, the smirk still prominent on his visage. "But let me thank you as well. You took care of the trash. Now _I_ can get some exercise as well."

Pantera gulped - or, at least, tried to. His fingers wouldn't even twitch. The man clapped his hands together, and from a flurry of purple flames, a scythe appeared. His slender fingers grabbed onto the hilt and he spun it around a few times. He was clearly very skilled and knew what was doing. Which sucked.

"It's unfortunate that you never learned how to harness Flames," the man sighed, slowly stepping closer. "You would've been such a formidable Storm Flame user. Oh well. The weak, sadly, do not get to chose their way of death. Goodbye."

Just as the sickeningly sharp blade swung down, a figure dropped down between the two, slamming down with enough force to crack the pavement beneath him. Pantera gave a smile as he realized he could move again.

"Took you long enough," he whined, rubbing his wrists. "My gauntlets got all dirty and it's all your fault."

"Pantera."

The redhead paled as he heard the tone of voice. He paled even further when he saw the flaming fists. And paled to an extremely unhealthy shade as he saw the furious orange eyes.

Vuoto stood between his comrade and his enemy, Sky Flames burning off him dangerously. His usually calm eyes shone with bloodthirst and the killer intent rolled off him in waves.

"Stand back," he snarled, raising both flaming fists. "I'll end him."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Predator's Line of Sight**

Vuoto's fists flared with pure orange flames, his eyes burning with the same colour. His lips were parted in a feral snarl. Clenching his fists, he let out a deep breath.

_Remember what Metallo said. Keep the Flames in control... don't burn out._

"You're one of those scientists from the Aquila Family," Vuoto stated, his posture much calmer, though the Dying Will Flame on his forehead flared with every movement the tall mafioso made.

The man nodded, pleased that Vuoto remembered. He tapped the scythe on the ground beside him. "Indeed. It seems you remember our days in the laboratories. Now, those were some fun times."

Pantera hissed when he saw Vuoto's eyes narrow and his nails dig into his palm. The redhead stepped forward, not intending to let the brunet go wild. His power was dangerous at best, and completely apocalyptic at worst. "Listen, bastard," the nineteen year-old said, voice flat yet threatening, completely unlike his usual sing-song tone. "You'll tell us your name. Then we'll beat the shit out of you, and then we'll throw you in a ditch somewhere. So you'd better do part one first before we decide to skip it completely."

The redhead relaxed as he caught Vuoto's quick glance back. The brunet always liked it when Pantera used the term "we" instead of "I". They were a team. They were both orphans, fighters, thieves, and brothers. And if one of them was on a sinking boat, the other would gladly hop on after the other.

The mafioso shook his head, taking off his hat. Pantera and Vuoto both stiffened, each readying their respective weapons. The man's messy dark hair fell from underneath the fedora, dropping over his eyes. Mismatched pupils gazed calmly into the brunet's orange-hued eyes.

"My name is Ambrogio Aquila," he introduced, nodding his head a little. "I am the head scientist of the Aquila Laboratories and the brother of the don of the Aquila Family, Diamante Aquila."

Vuoto stiffened noticeably and Pantera put a hand on the shorter boy's shoulder, gripping it firmly. He winced when the flames licked up to his fingertips but kept his grip regardless. "Well then, Ambrogio. It was nice meeting you, but it you don't mind, I would like you to stop breathing."

"That's quite unfortunate," Ambrogio replied, lifting his curved blade of the ground and twirling it around several times. "Though I suppose I'll just carry your bodies back myself. Whether you are alive or not is of little consequence."

Pantera didn't even wait until the mafioso finished speaking before he clenched his fists, feeling the familiar cold metal spread down his arms. He knew better than to just charge in blindly this time. Quickly grabbing a whip from the dead mafioso on the ground and shoving it in his belt, the redhead ducked just in time to avoid being decapitated. He felt an unnatural shiver run down his spine as the purple flames just barely touched his skin.

Vuoto propelled right into action, using his flames as a speed-enhancing tool. Throwing a well-aimed punch at Ambrogio, the brunet snarled as his knuckles met the cold blade of the scythe. The mafioso raised an eyebrow and stuck out his other hand, collecting purple flames in his palm. An instant later, a second scythe appeared in his left hand, quickly blocking a punch from Pantera.

Ambrogio ducked as a stream of Sky Flames shot from Vuoto's fist, countering by stabbing the hilt of the blade into the boy's undefended stomach. The brunet let out a gasp as he felt a sudden pressure right below his rib cage, effectively knocking all the air out of him. As Vuoto regained his bearings with an arm over his stomach, Pantera kicked up a knife from a fallen mafioso, catching it in his hand as it spun a few times in the air. The threw one with deadly accuracy before picking up the other, rushing in and delivering a quick strike which was blocked easily by the blade. Coming into impact with the scythe, the knife shattered, causing Pantera's eyes to widen as he leaped back to avoid an incoming blow. The redhead hissed as he felt a small cut on his chest. That was close.

Vuoto slammed into Ambrogio again, pushing him back quite a bit before kneeling down and delivering a sweep kick that nearly knocked the man off his feet. However, the mafioso flipped up, kicking the brunet's chin and causing the boy to stumble backward a few steps before the flames propelled him back up. Snarling, Vuoto rubbed his chin before running in and attacking with a barrage of punches and chops, dodging and jumping when necessary. Though Sky Flames could be powerful, they were very difficult to control in a narrow area. Vuoto kept the fact in mind as he slowly grew more frustrated as his attacks were blocked and countered.

"I thought you were more skilled," Ambrogio taunted as he slammed Vuoto into the wall. "I remember you destroying all those test dolls back in the lab. You see? This is what happens when you run away. You become weak."

"Shut up!" Vuoto yelled, using the propulsion of the flames to send a kick at the tall man. Stabilizing himself, the brunet pushed off of the wall and attempted to blind the man by jabbing at his eyes. Ambrogio countered quickly by catching his arm, crushing his hand around it. Vuoto felt a moment where all the breath left him again, then felt the pain of his bone breaking. Ambrogio took the chance to leave a wide gash on the boy's chest, then stabbed one of his scythes into his palm, immobilizing him and triggering a pained scream.

As the brunet fell back against the wall, breathing in inconstant breaths and tensing his body to try to control the pain, Pantera snarled and removed the whip from his belt, stretching both ends in his gauntlets, wrapping them around his hands twice. Just as he was about to make his move, he paused. There was something... off about Vuoto.

Collapsed in a heap of frustrated and painful breaths, Vuoto's flames started to run wild. He wasn't weak. He wasn't going to die. The world was a kill or be killed place - survival of the fittest, to be simple. He wasn't going to give in to some lowly mafioso. And there was no way he was going to let the man who dared to lay a hand on him live.

Vuoto's flames flared before they dimmed down, the orange fire sinking to a few small wisps. Ragged breaths slowly evened out even as the blood on his chest continued to pour out.

It was only when Vuoto looked up with mismatched eyes, one red and the other one yellow, that Pantera realized that the boy had powers beyond his imagination.

A Sky flame burned to life on his forehead while a Storm Flame coated his right hand and a Sun Flame covered the other. His eyes held no emotion at all as the Sun Flames ran up his broken arm, healing it immediately. With his arm back to normal, Vuoto wrenched out the scythe stabbing down his palm without hesitation, throwing it into the air and punching it with the Storm Flames. It shattered into tiny pieces before vanishing.

Before Ambrogio could even react, Vuoto's fist met his face, sending the man reeling back. Not leaving any gaps between his attacks, the boy began pummeling the mafioso, crushing his other scythe while keeping up the barrage.

Pantera didn't even know what happened. It all ended when Vuoto picked up the limp man from the ground by his neck and smashed him into a wall. Then, as expected from such powerful flame output, as the flames died away, Vuoto stumbled and leaned against the wall. His fine-tuning could only heal temporarily, after all.

Just as the redhead decided to go and help out his friend before he completely bled out, Ambrogio shot out from the rubble of the wall, grabbing onto Vuoto's neck with such speed that even Pantera couldn't follow it. The boy went down easily.

"Stupid boy," Ambrogio hissed, bleeding from his head and dragging a broken leg and dislocated shoulder along, but somehow moving his body like he was completely fine. "The Mist Flame users are very good at their work. Creating a weaker clone of me was no challenge to them whatsoever."

Vuoto's eyes widened as he felt hands around his neck that grew tighter by the second. Quickly losing air, the boy flailed his limbs, letting gagging noises escape from his throat. Where was the air? _Where was the air?_

"You bastard, let go!" Pantera shot forward, a fist ready and full of rage. But a dome of purple suddenly sprung up from the man, leaving the redhead separated from Vuoto. Growling, the thief smashed at the dome, yet it just wouldn't break.

Vuoto was starting to lose consciousness. His movements grew sluggish and an irritating ringing grew in his ears. Just as the boy was about to pass out, his eyes widened as an excruciating pain shot up his arm and into the rest of his body, triggering a scream.

Pantera's eyes widened as he saw the glint of a syringe being thrown away. Ambrogio stood up in satisfaction.

"What the hell did you do to him?!" The redhead demanded, his whole body shaking in anger. Vuoto was _his_ charge. His brother. His only friend. And there was no way that he was taking any shit from some idiotic mafioso.

"Just a dosage of pain-enhancing drugs," Ambrogio replied casually. "Expect plenty of screaming. The drugs will force his body to expel the affected cells forcefully, which of course will lead to him vomiting out quite a bit of blood. Headaches will also cause much pain." Then, shrugging, the man stepped back and away from Vuoto, who was clutching his stomach, eyes wide and shaking. His breaths came in raspy gasps. "But, if you wish to end his suffering, please do head to the Aquila Mansion. I have an antidote prepared for everything."

And just like that, Ambrogio was gone.

Pantera didn't linger for a second longer. As the dome disappeared, his rushed forward and gathered the small boy in his arms, ripping off strips of his clothing and tying it over the open wounds. Finding a piece of wood, the redhead splinted Vuoto's arm and tied it to his body, immobilizing it.

"Vuoto, can you hear me?" Pantera whispered, keeping his voice controlled. Panic would just make things worse.

The boy didn't reply. His eyes were still wide as he gasped for breath, clinging onto Pantera's sleeve for comfort. His legs kicked out as a jolt of pain surged through his body, and a fit of coughs attacked him. Vuoto hunched over, a hand to his mouth and the other one keeping him up from the ground. Pantera grabbed the boy back after he saw the bloodstains on his palm.

"Listen, Vuoto," he began, voice solid and determined. "You're going to get through this. I'll find you a doctor and get you back to normal. Then we'll find that stupid Aquila Family and kill them all." Gripping the boy's shoulders as he small figure sank into his arms, Pantera tilted Vuoto's face to meet his own. "Capiche?"

The shivering boy was barely able to keep conscious, let alone reply. However, with a gulp, Vuoto returned with a nod.

Pantera gave a weak smile and hefted the boy into his arms, carrying him bridal style.

"P-Pantera?"

A weak, raspy voice rang out from the small figure. The redhead looked down. "Yeah?"

"W-what's happening to m-me?"

"You got into a fight with Ambrogio, kid. He hurt you pretty bad, and I'm going to get you fixed up."

As the tiny figure winced in pain and coughed again, Pantera scowled inwardly. That bastard was going to pay. But Vuoto always came first before anything else. Placing a hand over the brunet's eyes, Pantera sighed. "How about you get some sleep? When you wake up, it'll be a lot less painful."

"I d-don't know..."

"It's going to be okay."

"But then - but what it-"

"Do you trust me?"

"That's-"

"_Do you trust me?"_

Vuoto's eyes drooped and his chin tilted down. "...Yes."

"Then get some sleep, idiot." Pantera joked lightly, running a hand through the brunet's spiky hair.

"I-it hurts."

"...I know, Vuoto. I know."

When it started raining, Pantera couldn't help but think that the situation was painfully similar to the day four years ago.


End file.
